JP7459500B2 - Three-dimensional modeling device and three-dimensional modeling method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional modeling device and a three-dimensional modeling method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, three-dimensional printing apparatuses have been used that form three-dimensional objects by laminating layers. Such three-dimensional printing apparatuses are required to print high-quality three-dimensional objects. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that prior to printing an output object as a three-dimensional object to be manufactured, an evaluation object is created, and based on the measurement results of the evaluation object, the output object is 3D-shaped. A data generation device for correcting data is disclosed.

JP 2018-24196 A

However, when correcting data of a three-dimensional object, as in the data generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the data correction takes time, and the productivity of three-dimensional objects may decrease.

The three-dimensional modeling device of the present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, is a three-dimensional modeling device that forms a model by stacking layers formed with a modeling material, and includes a modeling table on which a three-dimensional model and a quality control model are formed, a spray unit that has a heating means and sprays the plasticized modeling material, a movement mechanism that moves the modeling table and the spray unit relatively, a monitoring unit that monitors the modeling status of the layers that make up the quality control model, and a control unit that controls the spray unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layers, and the control unit executes the formation of the layers that make up the three-dimensional model based on the monitoring results by the monitoring unit.

1 is a schematic front view illustrating a configuration of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a screw of the three-dimensional printing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the screw of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is filled with a modeling material. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a barrel of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a three-dimensional object to be formed. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state during the formation of the three-dimensional object in FIG. 5 . FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a quality control molded object in a preferable state. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a quality control molded object with undesirable surface roughness. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a quality control molded object with an unfavorable shape. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for forming a quality control object using the three-dimensional printing apparatus of FIG. 1; 2 is a flowchart of an example of a three-dimensional printing method using the three-dimensional printing apparatus of FIG. 1 .

First, the present invention will be briefly described.
A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a three-dimensional printing apparatus that forms a model by stacking layers formed with a modeling material, and includes a modeling table on which a three-dimensional model and a quality control model are formed, a spray unit that has a heating means and sprays the plasticized modeling material, a moving mechanism that moves the modeling table and the spray unit relatively, a monitoring unit that monitors the modeling status of the layers that constitute the quality control model, and a control unit that controls the spray unit, the moving mechanism and the monitoring unit to form the layers, and is characterized in that the control unit performs the formation of the layers that constitute the three-dimensional model based on the monitoring results by the monitoring unit.

According to this aspect, layer formation is performed based on the monitoring results of the quality control object by the monitoring unit. This makes it possible to produce a high-quality three-dimensional object. Furthermore, there is no need to correct the data of the three-dimensional object. This makes it possible to produce a high-quality three-dimensional object without reducing the productivity of the three-dimensional object.

The three-dimensional printing apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the first aspect, the monitoring unit monitors the temperature of the layer constituting the quality control object formed on the printing table as the printing state, and the control unit executes the formation of the layer when the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature.

If the next layer is formed before the plasticized modeling material hardens, the three-dimensional model to be modeled may be deformed, but according to this aspect, the temperature of the model for quality control is controlled by the monitoring unit. Formation of the next layer is performed after reaching a predetermined temperature. For this reason, it is possible to suppress deformation of the three-dimensional structure due to the formation of the next layer before the plasticized modeling material hardens.

In the three-dimensional printing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the monitoring unit monitors the shape of the layer constituting the quality control object formed on the modeling table. The shaping state is monitored, and the control unit executes the formation of the layer if the shape is within a predetermined range.

If the shape of the quality control object does not have a predetermined shape, there is a high possibility that the shape of the three-dimensional object to be manufactured will not have the desired shape. However, according to this aspect, if the shape of the quality control molded object determined by the monitoring unit does not have a predetermined shape, the formation of the next layer is stopped. For this reason, it is possible to prevent continuing formation of a three-dimensional structure that is highly likely not to have the desired shape.

The 3D printing apparatus of the fourth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to third aspects, characterized in that the monitoring unit monitors the surface roughness of the layer constituting the quality control object formed on the printing table as the printing state, and the control unit executes the formation of the layer when the surface roughness is within a predetermined range.

According to this aspect, it is possible to easily and accurately determine whether the shape of the quality control object is a predetermined shape based on the roughness of the surface of the quality control object.

The three-dimensional printing apparatus of the fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the monitoring unit monitors the color tone of the surface of the layer constituting the quality control object formed on the printing table as the printing state, and the control unit executes the formation of the layer when the color tone of the surface is smaller than a predetermined value.

According to this aspect, the color tone of the surface of the layer is monitored, and if the color tone of the surface of the layer is smaller than a predetermined value, the layer is formed. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately judge from the color tone of the surface of the layer whether or not the shape of the quality control object has a predetermined shape.

The three-dimensional modeling device of the sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third to fifth aspects, it includes a cleaning unit that cleans the spray unit, and the control unit controls the movement mechanism and the spray unit to have the cleaning unit clean the spray unit when the shape or surface roughness of the layer that constitutes the quality control object as determined by the monitoring unit is not within a predetermined range.

According to this aspect, if the shape of the quality control object is not the specified shape, the cleaning unit cleans the ejection unit. By cleaning the ejection unit, normal ejection of the modeling material from the ejection unit can be restored.

In the three-dimensional printing apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the control section, during modeling of the layer constituting the quality control object, Forming at least one of the quality control shaping parts by relatively moving the modeling table and the injection part so as to form a quality control shaping part constituting the layer; If the quality control molding part is not in the desired state as a result of the monitoring, the quality control molding part is configured to form a new quality control molding part that is not adjacent to the at least one quality control molding part. The present invention is characterized in that the modeling table and the injection section are controlled.

According to this aspect, the monitoring unit monitors the new quality control modeling part so that it is not adjacent to a quality control modeling part that is not in the desired state. If the monitoring unit is made to monitor the part where each quality control modeling part is formed adjacent to another, there is a risk that the monitoring accuracy of the monitoring unit will decrease, such as a decrease in the accuracy of reading the shape, etc., but this can be prevented.

The three-dimensional modeling device of the eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, is characterized in that, when modeling the layer that constitutes the quality control object, the control unit moves the modeling table and the injection unit relatively to execute the formation of a quality control modeling part that constitutes the layer, forming at least one of the quality control modeling parts, and when the at least one quality control modeling part is in a desired state as a result of the monitoring, controls the modeling table and the injection unit to form multiple new quality control modeling parts adjacent to the at least one quality control modeling part to complete the layer.

According to this aspect, by forming the quality control modeling parts that make up the layer multiple times until the layer is completed, it is possible to ensure the formation area of the quality control modeling part in the new layer. There is a risk that the formation area of the quality control modeling part will become smaller due to stacking, making it impossible to monitor, but this risk can be reduced.

The three-dimensional printing method of the ninth aspect of the present invention is a three-dimensional printing method for forming a model by stacking layers formed with a modeling material, characterized in that the layers constituting the three-dimensional object are formed based on the monitoring results by a three-dimensional printing device including a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and a quality control object are formed, a spray unit having a heating means and spraying the modeling material, a movement mechanism for relatively moving the modeling table and the spray unit, and a monitoring unit for monitoring the modeling status of the quality control object.

According to this aspect, the layer formation is performed based on the monitoring result of the quality control molded object by the monitoring unit. For this reason, a high-quality three-dimensional structure can be modeled. Further, the data of the three-dimensional object is not corrected. For this reason, a high-quality three-dimensional structure can be modeled without reducing the productivity of the three-dimensional structure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following figures are all schematic diagrams, and some constituent members are omitted or simplified. Further, in each figure, the X-axis direction is a horizontal direction, the Y-axis direction is a horizontal direction and a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction is a vertical direction.

First, the overall configuration of a three-dimensional modeling device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. In this specification, "three-dimensional modeling" refers to forming a so-called three-dimensional object, and includes forming a shape having thickness even if it is a so-called two-dimensional shape, such as a flat plate shape, for example, a shape composed of one layer. Furthermore, "support" includes not only support from below, but also support from the side and, in some cases, support from above.

As shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a hopper 2 that stores pellets 19 as a building material for printing a three-dimensional object O as shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later. We are prepared. The pellets 19 accommodated in the hopper 2 are supplied via the supply pipe 3 to the circumferential surface 4a of the screw 4, which is a substantially cylindrical flat screw. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment uses pellets 19 as a modeling material for modeling the three-dimensional object O, and has a configuration in which the modeling material is injected while being plasticized by a flat screw. The present invention is not limited to the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 having such a configuration. For example, the three-dimensional object O may be formed by continuously spraying a filament, which is a linear modeling material made of resin, or a metal filament, which is a mixture of metal powder and resin material, while being melted. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the groove forming surface 18, which is the bottom surface of the screw 4, has a spiral groove 4b extending from the circumferential surface 4a to the central portion Cp. In other words, the ribs 4d formed as the grooves 4b are formed form the groove forming surface 18. Since the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment has such a configuration, by rotating the screw 4 with the drive motor 6 shown in FIG. 3, the pellet 19 is sent from the circumferential surface 4a to the central portion Cp. Although not shown in FIG. 1, cooling water is circulated near the drive motor 6 in order to suppress the temperature rise of the drive motor 6.

1, the barrel 5 is provided at a position facing the groove forming surface 18 of the screw 4 with a predetermined interval. The thickness of the central part Cp of the barrel 5 may be thick so that the interval becomes smaller from the circumferential surface toward the central part. A heating part 7 is provided near the opposing surface 8 of the barrel 5, which is the upper surface of the barrel 5, facing the groove forming surface 18. By configuring the screw 4 and the barrel 5 in this way, the pellets 19 are supplied to the space part 20 that corresponds to the position of the groove 4b and is formed between the groove forming surface 18 of the screw 4 and the opposing surface 8 of the barrel 5 by rotating the screw 4, and the pellets 19 move from the circumferential surface 4a to the central part Cp. When the pellets 19 move through the space part 20 formed by the groove 4b, the pellets 19 are melted, i.e., plasticized, by the heat of the heating part 7, and are pressurized by the pressure associated with moving through the narrow space part 20. In this way, the pellets 19 are plasticized and supplied to the nozzle 10a through the communication hole 5a and injected from the nozzle 10a.

As shown in FIG. 4 etc., a communication hole 5a, which is a path of movement of the molten pellets 19, is formed in the center Cp of the barrel 5 in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication hole 5a is connected to the nozzle 10a of the injection unit 10 that injects the modeling material. A filter (not shown) is provided in the communication hole 5a. Although not formed in the barrel 5 of this embodiment, a groove connected to the communication hole 5a may be formed in the opposing surface 8 of the barrel 5. By forming a groove connected to the communication hole 5a in the opposing surface 8, the modeling material may be more likely to gather toward the communication hole 5a.

The injection unit 10 is configured to be able to continuously inject the plasticized, fluid modeling material from the nozzle 10a. As shown in FIG. 1, the injection unit 10 is provided with a heater 9 for adjusting the modeling material to a desired viscosity. The modeling material is injected from the injection unit 10 in a linear shape. Then, a layer is formed by injecting the modeling material in a linear shape from the injection unit 10.

The three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes an injection unit 27 having a hopper 2, a supply pipe 3, a screw 4, a barrel 5, a drive motor 6, an injection section 10, and the like. Note that the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a configuration including one injection unit 27 that injects the modeling material, but it may also have a configuration that includes a plurality of injection units 27 that inject the modeling material. It may also include an injection unit 27 for ejecting. Here, the support material is a material for forming a layer of support material for supporting a layer of modeling material.

As shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a stage unit 22 for placing a layer of modeling material formed by being injected from the injection unit 27. The stage unit 22 includes a plate 11 on which the layer of modeling material is actually placed. The stage unit 22 also includes a first stage 12 on which the plate 11 is placed and whose position can be changed along the Y-axis direction by driving the first driving unit 15. The stage unit 22 also includes a second stage 13 on which the first stage 12 is placed and whose position can be changed along the X-axis direction by driving the second driving unit 16. The stage unit 22 also includes a base unit 14 that can change the position of the second stage 13 along the Z-axis direction by driving the third driving unit 17.

As shown in FIG. 1, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment is electrically connected to a control unit 23 that controls various drives of the injection unit 27 and the stage unit 22. The components of the injection unit 27 and the stage unit 22 are driven under the control of the control unit 23. The control unit 23 is also electrically connected to a temperature sensor 21 that measures the temperature of the quality control object Q as shown in FIG. 6 described later, an imaging unit 24 that images the quality control object Q, and a cleaning unit 28 of the injection unit 10. The quality control object Q is formed by stacking layers as described later, and the layers are composed of quality control models.

Next, an example of a three-dimensional printing method executed using the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described using a flowchart shown in FIG. 11 while referring to FIGS. 5 to 10. The flowchart in FIG. 11 is an example of a three-dimensional modeling method for building a three-dimensional object O by laminating layers, and steps S110 to S190 represent steps for laminating one layer. This is a three-dimensional modeling method in which a three-dimensional structure O as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is formed by repeating steps S110 to S190 in step S200 and stacking layers.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the three-dimensional printing method of this embodiment, first, after starting the printing of the three-dimensional structure O, it is determined whether or not the cleaning unit 28 has cleaned the injection unit 10 more than a specified number of times. to judge. If the number of times the cleaning unit 28 has cleaned the injection unit 10 exceeds the specified number of times, it is considered that the cleaning of the injection unit 10 by the cleaning unit 28 alone is not sufficient to recover the injection unit 10 . For this reason, the three-dimensional modeling method of this embodiment is terminated in order to perform processing including maintenance processing other than cleaning of the injection unit 10 by the cleaning unit 28. On the other hand, if the cleaning portion 28 has not cleaned the injection portion 10 more than the specified number of times, the process advances to step S120.

In step S120, the quality control object Q is formed on the plate 11. In this embodiment, when the quality control object Q is formed on the plate 11, as shown in FIG. 6, the quality control object Q is formed near the printing position of the three-dimensional object O to be printed. However, the method is not limited to this. For example, the printing location of the quality control object Q may be provided in a location different from the plate 11 on which the three-dimensional object O is printed. The quality control object Q can be formed in various shapes depending on the shape of the three-dimensional object O to be printed. FIG. 7 shows a quality control molding part Qa as an example of the formation of the quality control object Q, which corresponds to the quality control molding part Qr1 and the quality control molding part Qr2 described later. In the three-dimensional printing method of this embodiment, the quality control molding part Qr1 and the quality control molding part Qr2 are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction. The time from step S120 to step S190 described below, i.e., the time from forming the layer of the quality control object Q to forming the layer of the three-dimensional object O, may be changed depending on whether the formation positions of the quality control object Q and the three-dimensional object O are close or far apart.

Next, in step S130, the quality control object Q formed in step S120 is monitored. Specifically, the temperature sensor 21 monitors the temperature of the quality control molded object Q, and the imaging unit 24 images the quality control molded object Q. Here, a configuration may be adopted in which the user can set the monitoring time, monitoring timing, imaging period, and imaging timing of the quality control molded object Q. For example, by stopping imaging while forming the layers of the three-dimensional object O, and starting imaging at the same time as the quality control modeling unit starts, it is possible to prevent the image processing load from increasing. . Then, the process proceeds to step S140, and in step S140, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the quality control object Q is in a desired state. Specifically, it is determined whether the temperature of the quality control molded article Q has fallen sufficiently and whether there is any problem with the shape of the quality control molded article Q.

The reason for checking whether the temperature of the quality control object Q has been sufficiently lowered is as follows. In the three-dimensional modeling method of this embodiment, the quality control object Q and the three-dimensional object O are sequentially formed layer by layer. In other words, when forming a three-dimensional object O that is made up of two or more layers, if the temperature of the quality control object Q is sufficiently lowered in a certain layer, the previously formed three-dimensional object This means that the temperature of the lower layer, which is the layer of the original modeled object O, has also decreased sufficiently. If the temperature of the lower layer of the 3D object O is not sufficiently lowered, there is a risk that the lower layer may be deformed when the upper layer is formed. If the thickness is lower than that, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the lower layer will be deformed when the upper layer is formed. In this embodiment, the temperature of the quality control object Q is monitored by the temperature sensor 21, but for example, the temperature of the quality control object Q is monitored from the color of the quality control object Q captured by the imaging unit 24. It is also possible.

The reason for checking whether there are any problems with the shape of the quality control object Q is as shown in Figures 5 and 6. This is to increase the probability that the three-dimensional structure O has a characteristic internal shape that cannot be confirmed from the outside, and that the internal shape has been modeled with high precision. For example, it is assumed that a quality control object Q having a preferable shape formed from the modeling data of the quality control object Q is a quality control object Qa as shown in FIG. When the actually formed quality control object Q has unevenness 26 on the surface like the quality control object Qb shown in FIG. In cases where the quality control forming part Qc shown in FIG. 9 is formed larger than desired, there is a risk that the internal shape of the completed three-dimensional structure O may be defective. This is because when the surface has irregularities 26, the amount of injection is often insufficient, and when the surface is formed larger than the desired size, the amount of injection is often excessive. For this reason, by monitoring the quality control object Q and determining its acceptability, it is possible to create a 3D object with a shape that is difficult to determine if there is a defect in the internal shape just by looking at the completed 3D object O from the outside. Even when forming the object O, it is possible to suppress the formation of a three-dimensional structure O having a defective internal shape. Note that although the imaging unit 24 of this embodiment has a configuration for observing at a fixed point, it is not limited to such a configuration.

In the three-dimensional modeling method of this embodiment, the quality control model Q is monitored from two viewpoints: the temperature of the quality control model Q and the shape of the quality control model Q. Alternatively, the quality control molded object Q may be monitored from another viewpoint. In the three-dimensional modeling method of this embodiment, a quality control object Q is first formed in step S120 in each layer, and then a three-dimensional object O is formed in step S190, which will be described later. Accordingly, the three-dimensional structure O may be formed before the quality control structure Q is formed, or the quality control structure Q and the three-dimensional structure O may be formed simultaneously.

If it is determined in step S140 that the quality control object Q is in the desired state, the process advances to step S170; if it is determined in step S140 that the quality control object Q is not in the desired state, step Proceed to S150. Here, in step S150, the cleaning section 28 cleans the injection section 10, and then the process advances to step S160 to regenerate the modeling data of the quality control object Q, and returns to step S110.

In step S170, data is generated to form a free space S for forming the quality control object Q in preparation for forming the next layer of the quality control object Q. Then, in step S180, the free space S is formed based on the data generated in step S170.

Here, the formation of the free area S will be explained using FIG. 10. In FIG. 10, the quality control objects Q1 to Q6 represent the overall image of the quality control object Q, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the quality control shaped parts Qr1 and Qr2 represent the parts of the quality control shaped object Q that are monitored in step S130, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9.

The quality control shaped object Q1 represents a state in which layers from the first layer R1 to the third layer R3 are stacked. In other words, the steps from step S110 to step S190, which will be described later, are repeated three times in step S200, and the fourth step S120 is about to be executed. In the quality control object Q1, all areas on the layer R3 are empty areas S. Furthermore, the layers from the first layer R1 to the third layer R3 are stacked in a desired state.

The quality control shaped object Q2 represents a state in which the quality control shaped part Qr1 in the fourth layer R4 is formed in the empty area S on the layer R3. However, assume that it is determined in step S140 that the quality control modeling part Qr1 is not in the desired state. Then, in the next step S120 via steps S150 and S160, as represented by the quality control model Q3, the quality control model Qr1 in the empty area S on the layer R3 is placed next to it at an interval. A quality control modeling part Qr2 is formed.

Here, assume that it is determined in step S140 that the quality control modeling part Qr2 is in a desired state. Then, the process proceeds to step S170 and step S180, and a free area S is formed on the layer R4 by injecting the modeling material adjacent to the quality control forming part Qr2, as represented by the quality control forming object Q4.

Thereafter, in step S120 regarding the fifth layer R5, a quality control shaped part Qr1 is formed in the empty area S on the layer R4, as represented by a quality control shaped object Q5. Here, assume that it is determined in step S140 that the quality control modeling part Qr1 is in a desired state. Then, the process proceeds to step S170 and step S180, and a free area S is formed on the layer R5 by injecting the modeling material adjacent to the quality control forming part Qr1, as represented by the quality control forming object Q6. Then, such processing is repeated.

After the free space S is formed in step S180, a three-dimensional object O is formed in step S190. In this embodiment, a three-dimensional object O is formed with the same number of layers as the layers in which the free space S is formed in the quality control object Q. That is, the quality control object Q and the three-dimensional object O are formed alternately, one layer at a time. However, this is not limited to this example. For example, after forming one layer of the quality control object Q and monitoring the layer to confirm that there are no problems, multiple layers of the three-dimensional object O may be formed, and these operations may be repeated. Furthermore, the quality control object Q may be formed individually in the free space of the plate 11 in sequence, and the quality control object Q may not have a layered structure as shown in FIG. 10.

Then, the process proceeds to step S200, and the control unit 23 determines whether or not there is modeling data for the three-dimensional structure O and the quality control structure Q of the next layer. In step S200, if it is determined that there is a next layer, the process returns to step S110, and if it is determined that there is no next layer, the three-dimensional modeling method of this embodiment is ended.

Here, to summarize once, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a three-dimensional printing apparatus that forms a three-dimensional object O by laminating layers, and includes a three-dimensional object O and a quality control object. A plate 11 as a modeling table on which the object Q is modeled, and an injection unit 10 that injects solid pellets 19, which are the modeling materials for the three-dimensional object O and the quality control object Q, in a heated and plasticized state. , a stage unit 22 as a moving mechanism that relatively moves the plate 11 and the injection unit 10, and a temperature sensor 21 and an imaging unit 24 as a monitoring unit that monitors the molding state of the quality control molded object Q. We are prepared. Then, under the control of the control unit 23, a three-dimensional modeling method for forming layers based on monitoring results by the temperature sensor 21 and the imaging unit 24 can be executed.

In this way, the three-dimensional printing device 1 of this embodiment performs layer formation based on the monitoring results of the quality control object Q by the temperature sensor 21 and the imaging unit 24. This makes it possible to print a high-quality three-dimensional object O. Furthermore, there is no need to correct the printing data of the three-dimensional object O. This makes it possible to print a high-quality three-dimensional object O without reducing the productivity of the three-dimensional object O.

Here, the temperature sensor 21 serving as a monitoring unit monitors the temperature of the quality control molded article Q formed on the plate 11 as the shaping state of the quality control molded article Q. Then, by executing step S140, the control unit 23 forms the layers of the three-dimensional structure O after the temperature of the quality control structure Q measured by the temperature sensor 21 reaches a predetermined temperature. If the next layer is formed before the plasticized modeling material hardens, the three-dimensional model O to be modeled may be deformed. After the temperature of the management object Q reaches a predetermined temperature, the next layer can be formed. For this reason, it is possible to suppress deformation of the three-dimensional structure O due to the formation of the next layer before the plasticized modeling material hardens. Further, a contact thermometer, an infrared thermograph, a radiation thermometer, etc. can be used as the monitoring section.

The imaging unit 24 as a monitoring unit monitors the shape of the quality control object Q formed on the plate 11 or the layer constituting the previously formed quality control object Q as a forming state. Then, the control unit 23 executes step S140 to form a layer of the three-dimensional object O when the shape of the quality control object Q formed by the imaging unit 24 is a desired predetermined shape, and can stop the formation of the layer of the three-dimensional object O when the shape of the quality control object Q formed by the imaging unit 24 is not a desired predetermined shape. If the shape of the quality control object Q is not a predetermined shape, it is highly likely that the shape of the three-dimensional object O to be formed is not a desired shape. However, the three-dimensional printing device 1 of this embodiment can stop the formation of the next layer when the shape of the quality control object Q formed by the imaging unit 24 is not a predetermined shape. For example, the formation is stopped when a linear quality control object Q formed by ejecting the nozzle 10a in one scan on the plate 11 or the layer constituting the previously formed quality control object Q falls outside the range of the line width specified for the object. This makes it possible to prevent the continued formation of the three-dimensional object O, which is unlikely to have the desired shape. In addition, a non-contact laser microscope, a laser length measurement system, a stylus profiler, or the like can be used as the monitoring unit.

The monitoring unit can also capture an image of the surface roughness of the quality control object Q as the molding state of the quality control object Q. Therefore, the three-dimensional printing device 1 of this embodiment can easily and accurately determine whether the shape of the quality control object Q is a predetermined shape or not from the surface roughness of the quality control object Q. For example, the printing device 1 stops when a linear quality control object Q formed by ejecting the linear quality control object Q from the nozzle 10a in one scan onto the plate 11 or a layer constituting the previously formed quality control object Q falls outside the range of surface roughness Ra 5μ to Ra 50μm. A stylus profiler, an atomic force microscope, or the like can be used as the monitoring unit.

The monitoring unit can also measure the color tone of the quality control object Q as the molding state of the quality control object Q. Therefore, the three-dimensional modeling device 1 of this embodiment can easily and accurately determine whether the molding state of the quality control object Q is a predetermined color tone from the color tone of the quality control object Q. For example, when a linear quality control object Q formed by ejecting from the nozzle 10a in one scan onto the plate 11 or a layer constituting the previously formed quality control object Q has a color difference ΔE value of greater than 1.0, the device stops. A spectrophotometer, a color difference meter, a color luminance meter, etc. can be used as the monitoring unit.

Furthermore, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a cleaning section 28 that cleans the injection section 10. Then, the control unit 23 determines that the shape of the quality control molded object Q obtained by the imaging unit 24 is a preferable predetermined shape, such as the quality control molded part Qb in FIG. 8 or the quality control molded part Qc in FIG. 9, for example. If not, the cleaning unit 28 can be controlled to cause the cleaning unit 28 to clean the injection unit 10. In the three-dimensional printing apparatus of this embodiment, when the shape of the quality control object Q does not have a desired predetermined shape, the cleaning section 28 cleans the injection section 10. Normal jetting of the modeling material from the jetting section 10 can be restored.

Here, the control unit 23 of this embodiment can form each layer to be laminated by relatively reciprocating the plate 11 and the injection unit 10 a plurality of times. Expressed in another way, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment forms each layer in multiple passes under the control of the control unit 23. With this configuration, the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can form the three-dimensional object O with high precision while reducing the number of injection units 10, which tend to be expensive.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, under the control of the control unit 23, the three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured to control the quality control object Q when viewed from the stacking direction along the Z-axis direction. A portion formed so as not to be adjacent to the X-axis direction that intersects the Y-axis direction, which is the direction of reciprocating movement (for example, a quality control molded portion Qr2 formed not to be adjacent to the quality control molded portion Qr1) is heated to a temperature. Monitoring is performed by the sensor 21 and the imaging unit 24. If the temperature sensor 21 and the imaging unit 24 monitor a portion where each path is formed adjacent to each other, there is a risk that the accuracy of monitoring by the temperature sensor 21 and the imaging unit 24 will decrease, such as the accuracy of reading shapes etc. The three-dimensional printing apparatus 1 of the embodiment can suppress such a risk.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

1 ... three-dimensional modeling device, 2 ... hopper, 3 ... supply pipe, 4 ... screw, 4a ... circumferential surface,
4b...groove, 4d...rib, 5...barrel, 5a...communication hole, 6...driving motor, 7...heating unit,
8: opposing surface; 9: heater; 10: ejection portion; 10a: nozzle;
11: Plate (modeling table), 12: First stage, 13: Second stage, 14: Base portion,
15...first drive unit, 16...second drive unit, 17...third drive unit, 18...groove forming surface,
19: pellet (molding material), 20: space portion, 21: temperature sensor (monitoring portion),
22: stage unit (moving mechanism), 23: control unit, 24: imaging unit (monitoring unit),
25: pin; 26: unevenness; 27: injection unit; 28: cleaning unit; O: three-dimensional object;
Q: Quality control model

Claims (8)

A three-dimensional printing device that forms a modeled object by laminating layers formed with a modeling material,
a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and the quality control object are formed;
an injection section that includes a heating means and that injects the plasticized modeling material;
a movement mechanism that relatively moves the modeling table and the injection section;
a monitoring unit that monitors the molding state of the layer constituting the quality control molded object;
a control unit that controls the injection unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layer constituting the shaped object ;
The monitoring unit monitors the temperature of the layer forming the quality control molded object formed on the molding table as the molding state,
The three-dimensional printing apparatus is characterized in that the control unit executes the formation of the layer constituting the three-dimensional structure when the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature . A three-dimensional printing device that forms a modeled object by laminating layers formed with a modeling material,
a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and the quality control object are formed;
an injection section that includes a heating means and that injects the plasticized modeling material;
a movement mechanism that relatively moves the modeling table and the injection section;
a monitoring unit that monitors the molding state of the layer constituting the quality control molded object;
a control unit that controls the injection unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layer constituting the shaped object ;
The monitoring unit monitors the color tone of the surface of the layer forming the quality control molded object formed on the molding table as the molding state,
The three-dimensional printing apparatus is characterized in that the control unit executes the formation of the layer constituting the three-dimensional structure when the color tone of the surface is smaller than a predetermined value . A three-dimensional modeling device that creates a modeled object by laminating layers formed of modeling materials,
a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and the quality control object are formed;
an injection section that includes a heating means and that injects the plasticized modeling material;
a cleaning section that cleans the injection section;
a movement mechanism that relatively moves the modeling table and the injection section;
a monitoring unit that monitors the molding state of the layer constituting the quality control molded object;
a control unit that controls the injection unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layer constituting the shaped object ;
The monitoring unit monitors the shape or surface roughness of the layer constituting the quality control molded object formed on the molding table as the molded state,
If the shape is within a predetermined range or the roughness of the surface is within a predetermined range, the control unit executes the formation of the layer constituting the three-dimensional structure. However, when the shape does not fall within a predetermined range or when the surface roughness does not fall within a predetermined range, the moving mechanism and the A three-dimensional printing device characterized by controlling an injection section. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a model by stacking layers formed of a modeling material, comprising:
a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and a quality control object are modeled;
an injection unit having a heating means and configured to inject the plasticized modeling material;
a moving mechanism that moves the modeling table and the ejection unit relatively;
a monitoring unit that monitors a modeling state of the layer that constitutes the quality control object; and
a control unit that controls the ejection unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layers that constitute the object ,
The building material is plasticized by a flat screw;
the monitoring unit monitors, as the modeling status, a surface roughness of the layer constituting the quality control object formed on the modeling table;
The three-dimensional printing apparatus , wherein the control unit executes formation of the layer when the surface roughness is within a predetermined range. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a model by stacking layers formed of a modeling material, comprising:
a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and a quality control object are modeled;
an injection unit having a heating means and configured to inject the plasticized modeling material;
a moving mechanism that moves the modeling table and the ejection unit relatively;
a monitoring unit that monitors a modeling state of the layer that constitutes the quality control object; and
a control unit that controls the ejection unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layers that constitute the object ,
The control unit forms at least one quality control modeling part by moving the modeling table and the spray unit relatively to execute the formation of a quality control modeling part that constitutes the layer when modeling the layer that constitutes the quality control object, and if the at least one quality control modeling part is not in a desired state as a result of the monitoring, controls the modeling table and the spray unit to form a new quality control modeling part that is not adjacent to the at least one quality control modeling part, and executes the formation of the layer that constitutes the three-dimensional model based on the monitoring results by the monitoring unit. A three-dimensional modeling apparatus that forms a model by stacking layers formed of a modeling material, comprising:
a modeling table on which the three-dimensional object and a quality control object are modeled;
an injection unit having a heating means and configured to inject the plasticized modeling material;
a moving mechanism that moves the modeling table and the ejection unit relatively;
a monitoring unit that monitors a modeling state of the layer that constitutes the quality control object; and
a control unit that controls the ejection unit, the movement mechanism, and the monitoring unit to form the layers that constitute the object ,
The control unit, when forming the layer that constitutes the quality control object, moves the modeling table and the spray unit relatively to form a quality control modeling part that constitutes the layer, thereby forming at least one of the quality control modeling parts, and if the at least one quality control modeling part is in a desired state as a result of the monitoring, controls the modeling table and the spray unit to form multiple new quality control modeling parts adjacent to the at least one quality control modeling part to complete the layer, and performs the formation of the layer that constitutes the three-dimensional model based on the monitoring results by the monitoring unit. A three-dimensional modeling method for forming a model by stacking layers formed of a modeling material, comprising the steps of:
a modeling step of spraying the modeling material from a spraying unit to form a three-dimensional object, which is the model, and a quality control object on a modeling table;
a monitoring step of monitoring a temperature of the layer constituting the quality control object as a modeling state,
A three-dimensional printing method, characterized in that , in the printing process, formation of the layers that constitute the three-dimensional object is carried out when the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. A three-dimensional modeling method for forming a modeled object by laminating layers formed with a modeling material, the method comprising:
a modeling step of injecting the modeling material from the injection unit to create the three-dimensional object and the quality control object on a modeling table;
a cleaning step of cleaning the injection part;
a monitoring step of monitoring the shape or surface roughness of the layer constituting the quality control shaped object as a shaped state;
In the modeling process, if the shape monitored in the monitoring process falls within a predetermined range, or if the roughness of the surface monitored in the monitoring process falls within a predetermined range, , when the formation of the layer constituting the three-dimensional structure is performed and the shape monitored in the monitoring step does not fall within a predetermined range, or the roughness of the surface monitored in the monitoring step A three-dimensional modeling method, characterized in that the cleaning step is executed when the cleaning step is not within a predetermined range .

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